1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices, structures and processes for reducing friction and wear of orthopaedic implant components, particularly bearing components, and more particularly ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) components, by providing certain novel textured or patterned surfaces on such components.
2. Description of Related Art
Orthopaedic implants are becoming increasingly prevalent as millions of patients have been relieved of suffering from joint degenerative diseases and other conditions that affect proper hip, knee, shoulder and other joint function. Total or partial joint replacement procedures involve removal of damaged parts of the relevant joint and replacing them with prosthetic components. During surgery, implant components especially selected to match the patient""s needs are located and implanted in the bones forming the joint. In a total joint replacement, it is often the case that a bearing component is interposed between two other components that articulate, or move in a manner that corresponds to relative motion of the bones forming the joint, particularly when the articulating components are formed of metal. For purposes of this document, implant component surfaces disposed against or adjacent to each other in normal operation of the implant are referred to as bearing surfaces. Bearing surfaces may be articulating bearing surfaces, when the two components engage in articulating motion relative to each other, or non-articulating bearing surfaces when they do not engage in articulating motion relative to each other.
A common problem involved with joint replacements is the high wear rates that occur once the components have been implanted. Particularly, mobile bearing components, such as those formed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (xe2x80x9cUHMWPExe2x80x9d), present wear rates that are substantially higher than those for corresponding fixed bearing components. This increased wear causes the need for increased replacements and revisions, which are commonly more labor intensive, more expensive, and more traumatic to the surrounding tissue and bone.
Accordingly, there is a great need to reduce the wear that accompanies artificial joints. Such wear occurs in all types of artificial joints, including knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, finger, toe, or spinal systems.
More specifically, the prosthetic components contact one another during all types of forward, backward, and side to-side movements. Some replacement joints, such as knee joints, have a mobile bearing insert located between the components implanted in the tibia (such as a tibial tray attached to a tibial stem) and the components implanted in the femur (such as a condylar component attached to a femoral stem). The insert acts, among other things, to ease and facilitate movement of the components and to retain the knee components in place. Particularly if the knee is reconstructed as a mobile bearing knee, the insert is allowed to rotate and translate with the actual motion of the knee. The insert is not constrained, so that it can move in the anterior-posterior direction and/or the medial-lateral direction, which often creates considerable wear. (Other joints also experience wear due to sliding movement.)
For example, many presentations and articles that address mobile bearing knees note that the wear behavior expected of these joint replacements is similar to that obtained with total hip arthroplasty. Specifically, the wear mechanisms include adhesive and abrasive wear, generating a large number of relatively small (micrometer and submicrometer) polyethylene wear particles. The reduction of wear debris generated by orthopaedic devices is one of the leading issues regarding long term performance of orthopaedic joint prostheses.
Wear debris has been associated with adverse biological responses which can lead to local cell death (osteolysis for bone cells), premature loosening and failure of orthopaedic devices, and subsequent need for revision surgery. The majority of wear debris originates from articulating surface of orthopaedic devices, typically a UHMWPE insert or cup surface that is disposed against a metal or ceramic plate or ball surface in a manner such that the surfaces engage in articulating motion relative to each other. (Wear can also occur on non-articulating surfaces, such as a non-mobile bearing component surface against a tibial tray, or the convex, nonarticulating surface of a liner against the inner diameter of an acetabular cup; the present invention is also applicable to any and all such nonarticulating surfaces.) Additionally, abrasive third body debris, such as bone cement (for example, polymethylmethacrylate (xe2x80x9cPMMAxe2x80x9d) bone cement) and bone debris may migrate to the interface between bearing or articulating surfaces, further accelerating abrasive wear due to so-called three body motion.
Another factor that can influence implant stability and wear is the frictional force generated at the interface between the bearing surfaces. For example, many cases of premature loosening of hip components have been attributed to excessive frictional torque between the femoral head and the acetabular component. Increased friction is also a direct indication of adhesive interaction, or solidxe2x80x94solid contact between bearing surfaces and typically results in increased wear of one, or both bearing surfaces. It is known that increasing the lubricity of the bearing surfaces reduces friction within the artificial joint.
In spite of the increased wear rates, however, mobile bearing joints, such as mobile bearing knee joints, provide a number of advantages over fixed bearing joints. For example, mobile bearing joints provide more natural kinematics and lower stresses at the implant-bone interface. Accordingly, because of the benefits provided, it is important to provide solutions to the increased wear that is generated by mobile bearing joints, even though the present invention is useful for any bearing structure, whether mobile or fixed, articulating or nonarticulating.
Consider the knee. In general, proper knee function such as in walking depends upon the complex interaction and interoperation of a number of bones, ligaments, tendons and cartilage components found in the knee. In particular, condyles forming the distal end of the femur articulate in a hinge-like fashion against the plateau that forms the proximal end of the tibia. A number of ligaments and tendons retain the condyles and tibial plateau in position relative to each other throughout the range of motion, from flexion to extension of the knee. Cartilage components, including meniscal components, are interposed between the condyles and the tibial plateau and thus provide natural bearing surfaces that, among other things, reduce friction and bone wear in the knee. The patella is held in place with tendons and ligaments as it rides in a groove on the anterior surface of the condylar head throughout the range of motion.
In knee joint replacement surgery, a surgeon typically affixes prosthetic components to the patient""s bone structure; a first to the patient""s femur and a second to the patient""s tibia. These components are typically known as the femoral component and the tibial component, respectively. Each component may be formed of a range of subcomponents, such as in a modular fashion. For instance, a tibial tray that corresponds in some ways to the tibial plateau is supported in some prosthetic designs by a cemented or non-cemented tibial stem that is inserted into the canal of the tibia. Similarly, the condylar component can be supported by a stem or other structure that attaches to or inserted into the femur.
The femoral component is placed on a patient""s distal femur after appropriate resection. The femoral component is usually metallic, having a highly polished outer condylar articulating surface.
A common type of tibial component uses a tray or plate that generally conforms to the patient""s resected proximal tibia. The tibial component also usually includes a stem which extends generally perpendicular to the plate in order to extend into a surgically formed opening in the patient""s intramedullary canal.
A healthy knee joint flexes, extends, and rotates as a person walks, sits, bends forward, and climbs stairs. Nature has provided a self-lubricating system of healthy, white cartilage to cover the ends of these bones. It is this smooth, slippery surface that enables the knee to glide like a well-oiled machine with no rough spots to interfere with its precise, rhythmic motion.
In the implant context, this smooth, slippery surface is removed and replaced with a plastic or polymeric (often high density polyethylene (xe2x80x9cHDPExe2x80x9d) or UHMWPE) insert or bearing. The insert fits between the tibial component and the femoral component and provides a surface against which the femoral component condylar portion articulates.
The bearing may also engage in motion relative to the tibial plate. Such motion can be translational and/or rotational sliding motion relative to the plate. In other types of mobile bearing knee prostheses, the bearing can engage in other types of motion relative to the tibial component and/or femoral component.
As discussed above, one of the problems encountered with mobile bearing systems is the constant wear that occurs between the bearing and the tibial and/or femoral component due to articulation. These problems are, of course, also encountered with other types of artificial joints. The materials currently being used for the frictional surface of most artificial joints include various types of metals, ceramics, and UHMWPE. The wear of UHMWPE inserts or sockets is known to be one of the factors necessitating repeated replacement of artificial joints. The surface of the insert and the surface of the tibial tray are in contact with one another along the substantial range of motion. Additionally, wear particles created by the friction between these materials are suspected as leading to loosening of the prosthesis.
Although not exhaustively, researchers have studied various ways to alleviate or eliminate this wear and/or abrasion. Among others concepts, researchers have attempted to enhance lubrication and alter surface structure of the surfaces that are in sliding or articulating contact. For example, some investigators have attempted to maintain a constant coefficient of friction between two articulating contacting surfaces by using separately-applied lubricants. Such lubricants are commonly solid lubricant films or solid lubricating surfaces. Others have attempted to incorporate a lubricant-type material into the articulating surface itself. In some instances, however, these lubrication models do not work or cannot be tolerated because they introduce undesired contaminants or other undesired physical characteristics into the process of the device.
Additionally, to overcome wear problems associated with artificial joint materials, various surface structures have been studied. For instance, patterns have been introduced in an effort to enhance the lubrication of the joint and reduce the creation of wear particles. See I. Nishimura, et al. xe2x80x9cModification of the Frictional Surfaces of Artificial Joints,xe2x80x9d ASAIO Journal, July-Sept. 1993: M762, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
Some references describe experiments conducted with stainless steel (xe2x80x9cSUSxe2x80x9d) surfaces and UHMWPE surfaces having surface patterns. Such surfaces are typically spherical discs of material with a radius of 20 mm. The discs featured a pattern with a diameter from 0.2 to 1.0 mm, a pitch (the distance between each pattern) from 0.6 to 2.0 mm, and a depth of 3 xcexcm on the SUS surfaces and 1 mm on the UHMWPE surfaces. The application of surface patterns in some instances has been reported to enhance lubrication properties and lower frictional force. Less wear has been found to occur on patterned samples than on samples without a pattern, which was attributed to the ability of the pattern to maintain good lubrication.
For example, the Nishimura reference indicates that a pattern having a diameter of 0.5 mm and a 1.2 mm pitch showed the maximum reduction in frictional force (25%) and the smallest value for UHMWPE wear (8 xcexcm). When the diameter of the pattern was increased to more than 0.5 mm, the reduction rate decreased and water formation increased. Among other things, this reference fails to discuss the implications that the depth of the pattern has on wear problems, other than fixing the to depth at 3 xcexcm on SUS surfaces and 1 mm on UHMWPE surfaces. The reference also shows a regular pattern of diameter, pitch and depth used on each surface, without taking various geometries of the pattern, anatomical conditions, or various placement patterns into consideration. These are just a few examples of features that this reference lacks.
There are also patents directed to wear resisting slide members that disclose slide members having circular recessed and projected patterns. The recessed portions are filled with lubricant, and the circular diameter of the recessed portions typically range from 0.2 to 0.8 mm. Circular diameters greater than 0.8 mm cause the area of the projected portions to decrease so that the projected portions cannot support the loads, sliding and lubricating properties are deteriorated due to wear of the slide surface, and unevenness occurs.
Such references also state that the pitch should be in a range of 0.8 to 1.6 mm and that the depth of the recessed portion is set to 1 mm or less, preferably 10 xcexcm or less. The recessed and projected portions are also arranged regularly over the whole slide surface. Again, among other things, these references fail to suggest that the depths of the recessed portions can be beyond the 1 mm limitation, as well as fail to consider the anatomical properties and various placements of the portions. The area ratio of the recessed portions is also in the range of 30 to 70% with respect to the whole sliding surface. The references also emphasize that if the groove depths are too deep, lubricant is collected in the bottoms of the recessed portions, preventing the lubricant from flowing up to the projected portions, which again emphasizes the minimal depth that is taught, as well as the lubrication aspect, which appears to be the primary benefit provided by the recessed portions.
Various concepts that these references do not consider, however, are that if the recessed portions are not sufficiently deep, synovial fluid may fill the recesses and calcify, essentially re-filling the recesses, thus eliminating the benefits sought to be achieved. Nor do the currently available references consider the benefits of various positionings of the patterns on the surface or the concept of reducing overall areas of wear.
Moreover, other references provide lubricated joints having a fluid filled compartment that can pump fluid into an interarticular gap. The resistance of the fluid to flow is modulated by deforming a glidable, spherical cup, which reduces the gap under higher loads. Grooves may be cut into the cup to concentrate the pressure drop of the fluid flow. Again, these references concentrate on controlling the fluid or lubricant, not on the dimensions of the grooves nor the placement or structure of the grooves.
Various researchers have attempted to improve wear characteristics. For example, they have provided voids on a surface that trap wear particles. Relatively small voids or pockets (microvoids) are incorporated into the microstructure of the material itself. When the surface is in contact with another sliding surface, wear debris generated between the surfaces is trapped in the voids and removed from the interface region. The geometry of the voids is described as generally larger than the dimensions of the wear particles. They are described in the claims as microscopic void regions spaced at microscopic distances from each other.
None of these references described provide the features of the present invention. Among other things, no reference describes a design that considers and optimizes depth, configuration and position of recesses or indentations on a prosthetic implant component bearing surface in a manner that effectively reduces wear of that surface. Nor do the references discuss reducing the area of the bearing surfaces in order to reduce the area of actual contact between articulating surfaces and the benefits that this concept presents. Instead, the references primarily focus on increasing lubrication.
Additionally, the references discussed above do not focus on reduction of area from critical regions where the pressure and wear is particularly high. A reason for this may be that it is counterintuitive to remove material from a support structure in order to strengthen the structure. More particularly, about 85% of wear of mobile bearing knee systems occurs on the underside of the mobile bearing device, with only 15% of wear occurring on the topside. The present inventors have realized that this indicates that there is a greater need to reduce wear on the underside of the device. For example, the wear on a mobile bearing insert underside of a knee replacement system appears to be influenced by the biaxial xe2x80x9ccross-shearxe2x80x9d motion that is typical in hips, and is thus considered to be more representative of xe2x80x9chip-typexe2x80x9d wear. This is contrary to topside wear, which is the traditional xe2x80x9cknee-typexe2x80x9d wear commonly seen in fixed bearing knees. Similar principles may apply in any number of contexts in any combination of prosthetic implant bearing surfaces, to which the present invention is potentially applicable.
More specifically, a hip is actually a ball and socket-type joint, which interfaces two separate bonesxe2x80x94the femur and the pelvis. The pelvis has two cup-shaped depressions, called the acetablua or xe2x80x9csockets.xe2x80x9d The head of the femur or xe2x80x9cballxe2x80x9d fits into the xe2x80x9csocket,xe2x80x9d forming a joint which allows the leg to articulate forward, backward and sideways through a wide, three dimensional, range of motion. The acetabulum is lined with cartilage, which cushions the bones and allows the joint to rotate smoothly and with minimal friction. An envelope of tough ligaments connect the pelvis and femur, covering the joint and stabilizing it. The cartilage also lends strength to the hip joint in order to support the weight of the upper body, and resilience to absorb the impact of exercise and activity. A healthy hip will allow the leg to articulate freely within its range of motion, while supporting the upper body and absorbing the impact that accompanies activities like running and jumping.
During a total hip replacement surgery, damaged and worn parts of the hip are removed and replaced with artificial parts, called prostheses, which will help make the hip strong, stable and flexible again. During surgery, an implant is selected and affixed to the area between the femur and the pelvis. In most cases, the implant will consist of two pieces: a metal stem fitted with a ball at one end (xe2x80x9cthe headxe2x80x9d) and a metal or polyethylene cup (xe2x80x9cthe cupxe2x80x9d).
The head may be formed of metallic material, polymeric, ceramic or other desired material. It fits into an acetabular cup which has been inserted in the acetabulum of the patient that corresponds to the femur having the femoral implant. The cup may include a liner such as a polymeric liner to receive the head. The liner and metallic cup components may articulate or not relative to each other; the ball articulates relative to the liner. These components replace the socket and ball of the femur to form a new hip joint.
Recent studies conducted on hip replacement systems indicate that the volumetric wear rate of acetabular liners increases with increasing head/cup diameter. See I. C. Clarke, et al., xe2x80x9cHip-Simulator Ranking of Polyethylene Wearxe2x80x94Compassions Between Ceramic Heads of Different Sizes,xe2x80x9d Acta. Orthop. Scand., 67 (2) (1996): 128-132; W. Sauer, et al., xe2x80x9cPredicting the Clinical Wear Performance of Orthopaedic Bearing Surfaces,xe2x80x9d in J. J. Jacobs and T. L. Craig, eds., Alternative Bearing Surfaces in Total Joint Replacement; ASTM STP 1346, December 1998, all of which are incorporated herein by this reference. This is contrary to the general understanding in the field of implant technology, which is that if a force can be spread out over a greater contact area or surface, the stresses experienced are decreased. In other words, by increasing the surface contact area of a support structure, the contact stress is decreased.
On the other hand, the above-described study shows that when a femur head having a large diameter contacts an acetabular liner, the stress and wear generated is increased (even though the stress is xe2x80x9cspread outxe2x80x9d over a larger area), as compared to that generated when a femur head having a smaller diameter is used. Essentially, increasing the contact surface in this situation increases the wear suffered, rather than decreases the wear. This suggests that the effect of increased wear on increasing total wear volume is stronger than the effect of decreased stresses on decreasing total wear volume for the liner. That is, the increased wear shown suggests that the theory behind xe2x80x9cspreading outxe2x80x9d contact stress is overshadowed by the fact that increased contact area causes more wear.
Other studies based on theoretical stress analysis have suggested that the head/cup clearance should be as small as possible so that the contact stress and wear rates can be minimized for a given head size. For example, A. Wang et al. have shown that decreasing the head/cup wear area by increasing the radial mismatch between head and cup correspondingly decreased the wear, roughly proportionally to the decreased wear area, despite significantly increased stresses. A. Wang, et al., xe2x80x9cEffect of Head/Cup Clearance on the Wear of UHMWPE in Total Hip Replacement,xe2x80x9d Trans 24th SFB, San Diego, Calif., April 1998: 357, which is incorporated herein by this reference. In other words, even if there are additional stresses generated from a less-than-perfect-fit between the head and cup, if contact area is smaller, less wear is seen. This appears to be the case despite the fact that more area is provided for lubrication to flow when a smaller head is used.
The inventors realized that it would be desirable to apply the above-described concepts to various artificial joint prostheses, and applied them to areas of that anatomy that are different in major respects from the hip structure. For example, the concepts that apply to hip-wear may be applied to knee systems and to mobile bearing inserts to reduce wear. It is also desirable to provide reduced wear rates and improved lubrication access through decreasing the wear area of joints in areas that are subjected to high wear, and perhaps even the greatest wear.
For example, although it seems counterintuitive, the inventors realized that it may be desirable to decrease the underside wear or bearing surface area of a mobile bearing insert of a knee joint in order to increase wear resistance. It is also beneficial to be able to reduce wear without the need to apply a separate lubrication or use a material having lubricating-type material incorporated therein, in order to alleviate any additional contaminants or undesired physical complications that may be presented.
It is desirable to provide decreased wear area by providing textured areas that have certain configurations and shapes that have shown to be particularly effective at reducing overall wear rates. For example, it may be desirable to provide sufficiently deep indentations to provide the desired benefits, without canceling those benefits out; that is, to provide recesses sufficiently deep so that lubricating fluids present in the system do not calcify and render benefits provided by the recesses useless.
The present invention relates to devices for reducing wear in artificial joint systems and medical implant devices, such as knee replacement systems, hip, shoulder, elbow, finger, toe or spinal systems, and the like. One or more of the implant components has at least one textured or patterned bearing surface, the texture or pattern designed and formed in a manner that takes into account depth, pattern and position of the indentations forming the texture or pattern to reduce bearing surface wear.
For example, in one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a mobile bearing knee prosthesis, comprising an insert having an inferior surface adapted to cooperate with a tibial plate and a superior surface adapted to cooperate with a femoral component, the insert having indentations on the inferior surface, whereby the indentations are oriented and dimensioned in a manner that reduces surface area of the insert in contact with the tibial plate, providing lower net wear on the insert as compared to an insert not having such indentations under substantially the same load. In a specific embodiment, the insert is included in a knee replacement prosthesis having a tibial tray, a tibial stem, and a femoral component.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, there is provided such an insert having indentations covering about 10% to about 20% of the underside surface. In an even more particular embodiment, the indentations range from about 1 mm to about 2 mm deep, from about 1 mm to about 4 mm in pitch, from about 1 mm to about 2.5 mm in diameter, or combinations thereof.
In a counterintuitive recognition and application of clinical findings that have indicated that volumetric wear rate in the hip joint increases by increasing the head size, the inventors have discovered that reducing the bearing surface area by introducing indentations with proper consideration as to depth, pattern, positioning, or combinations thereof should translate to a lower wear rate. They have discovered that reducing the bearing surface area does in fact result in a reduction of volumetric wear, particularly reducing surface area on the underside of a mobile bearing knee insert. Accordingly, the invention seeks to reduce contact area by providing indentations of proper depth, pattern, positioning, or combinations thereof on the bearing surfaces of prosthetic implant components, and particularly by providing such indentations on the inferior (or underside) surface of a mobile bearing insert. Even more particularly, the indentations optimally have a depth between about 1-2 mm and are patterned to reduce the bearing surface area to the greatest extent at regions where maximum wear occurs.
In general, bearing surfaces move relative to each other, whether in articulating or non-articulating motion. This is commonly a source of friction and wear. Articulating motion in most cases creates greater wear; for example, wear testing of a UHMWPE mobile bearing knee with rotation and translation of the mobile bearing insert allowed, indicated that UHMWPE wear rates were about three times higher than those for corresponding fixed bearing knees. Further, it was shown that a greater percentage of the wear occurred on the underside or inferior portion of the mobile bearing insert. (The term xe2x80x9cmobile bearing devicexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cmobile bearing systemxe2x80x9d for purpose of this document means any implant device that is subjected to rotational and/or translational movement, whether it be knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, finger, tow, or spinal systems or joints. The terms xe2x80x9cunderside,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cinferior,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cbacksidexe2x80x9d for the purpose of this document mean any portion of an insert that is adapted to contact an upper portion of a component, such as a tibial tray.)
A bearing surface of the present invention is textured, having multiple indentations. The indentations may be provided in any design or pattern or combination of designs or patterns, such as grooves, dimples, straight patterns, straight crossing patterns, curved patterns, curved crossing patterns, holes, channels, slots, or any other geometric design, any of which will collectively be referred to as indentations. The concept is focused on reducing area, not the particular design or pattern used.
These indentations are machined, molded or otherwise provided on the bearing surface, preferably in a manner that reduces bearing surface wear greatest at areas that suffer high wear, or perhaps even the greatest wear, such as certain regions of the underside of a mobile bearing insert. More specifically, because it has been shown that about 85% of the wear suffered by mobile bearing knee systems occurs on the underside of the mobile bearing device, with only 15% of wear occurring on the topside, the indentations are provided on the underside, or the inferior surface, of the device. The described textured or indented surfaces reduce the contact area of articulating components, resulting in wear reduction, less pressure on the joint, and greater lubrication. The actual pattern of indentations is one aspect of this invention, the location of the indentations on the bearing surface is another aspect of the invention, and the geometry of the indentations is a further aspect of this invention.
In the case of a mobile bearing insert, the indentations are preferably located on the underside of the mobile bearing insert, along the surface of the insert that contacts the tibial plate. More particularly, if the insert and tibial plate are allowed to touch and be in direct contact throughout the entire surface, there is about an inch of direct contact. On the other hand, by providing indentations on the surface of the mobile bearing insert that is in contact with the plate, that contact area is reduced. Accordingly, the principles described with respect to reducing hip stress are applicable to reducing knee stress and wear.
Furthermore, the indentations may be of variable shapes and of variable distances from one another. It is not necessary that they span the entire underside, although they may span the entire underside if desired. Particular benefits are derived from their placement at areas of greater wear, however.
The indentations may all be of a constant shape, for example, all circular or all slots, or they may be varied, for example, various shapes on the same surface. The placement or varied patterns may be design dependent, anatomy dependent, wear dependent, or a combination of the above. For example, it may be necessary to maintain certain dimensions of the insert, such as thickness, and the indentations may be placed accordingly.
The indentations may be any suitable size or shape. In a particular embodiment, it has been shown to be particularly beneficial to provide indentations that range from about 1 mm to about 2.5 mm in diameter, about 1 mm to about 4 mm in pitch, and about 1 mm to about 2 mm in depth. Although other dimensions are possible, these have shown to provide particular advantages. Particularly, the depth allows circulation of lubricant, but it not so shallow that lubricant and other fluids calcify or otherwise become lodged in the indentations, effectively blocking the indentations.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide implants that reduce wear.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide artificial joint implants that reduce wear by reducing bearing surface area, whether of articulating or non-articulating bearing surfaces, from critical regions of such surfaces where wear is great.
It is an additional feature of the present invention to provide mobile bearing surfaces for implants that are textured or that otherwise have indentations, to reduce contact area, thus providing wear reduction.
It is an additional feature of the present invention to provide a bearing surface having a reduced area in which the wear reduction is greater that the surface area reduction.
It is an additional feature of the present invention to provide mobile bearing surfaces that accomplish any or all of the following: reduced surface contact area; smaller contact area in motion; lowered wear of an implant system; greater lubrication.
It is an additional feature of the present invention to provide mobile bearing surfaces for implants that have indentations, textures or recesses, with those portions being located where high wear, perhaps even the greatest wear is experienced.
It is an additional feature of the present invention to provide mobile bearing surfaces for implants that are indented, textured or recessed, with the recessed portions being located on the underside of the mobile bearing insert.
It is an additional feature of the present invention to provide mobile bearing surfaces for implants that are textured or recessed, with the recessed portions being located on the underside of the mobile bearing insert and being located primarily at anterior and/or posterior portions of the mobile bearing insert.
It is an additional feature of the present invention to provide mobile bearing surfaces for implants that have textures or recesses that are about 1-2 mm deep, providing reduced surface area.
It is an additional feature of the present invention to reduce bearing surface wear in prosthetic implants by providing indentations on such surfaces in a manner that takes into account depth, shape, pattern, position, or combinations thereof of the indentations to reduce wear and preferably optimize wear reduction.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent with respect to the remainder of this document.